Details have emerged from the National Council of State meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Aso Rock, Abuja, on Tuesday.
At the meeting, seven ministers and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, briefed the council on various national issues.
According to the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, who spoke to journalists after the meeting, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu provided a comprehensive briefing on the recent protests that took place across the country.
Alake described the protests as a “movement to effect a change of regime by force,” which was resisted by authorities.
He said, “I call it a movement to effect a change of regime by force which was also resisted. The council thanked Nigerians at large for resisting an unconstitutional move to change government. If anybody is not satisfied with the government, the current administration, there is always an election coming, so you wait for the election and cast your vote.”
“Any change of government has to be through the ballot and not through the barrel of the gun, or through insurrection or through any other unconstitutional means, only through the ballot box can any government be changed and reassured on the security readiness of all security agencies in the country to secure our territorial integrity and to protect Nigerians democracy,” Alake added.
The protests, which turned violent in some states, resulted in 22 deaths.
Ribadu’s briefing covered the pre-, during, and post-event of the protests, providing the council with a thorough understanding of the situation.
In addition to the protests, Finance Minister Wale Edun briefed the council on the economy, updating members on the progress made in implementing macroeconomic policies under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership.
“And these policies are anchored in his eight priority areas and the results to date have been very encouraging,” Edun said.
The National Council of State passed a unanimous vote of confidence in President Bola Tinubu, commending his achievements since assuming office a year ago. The council also condemned the demands by some protesters for President Tinubu’s resignation during the recent #EndBadGovernance protests.
Former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari attended the meeting in person, while former Heads of State, Generals Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar, joined virtually. State governors, deputy governors, ministers, former Chief Justices of the Federation, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the National Security Adviser were also in attendance.
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq of Kwara State who also addressed State House Correspondents following the meeting said that during a subsequent executive meeting between the Governors and President Tinubu, the governors unanimously passed a vote of confidence in the President.
This is absolutely not acceptable, I respect Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, but for this one that he has done, I have withdrawn my respect for him, we are in a state of turmoil in this country and all he could do is to pass a vote of confidence on someone who has made life so unbearable for the common man, well I do not blame him and I also do not blame Tinubu, if they have followed due process in the previous election, Tinubu won’t be sitting there as the president of this great nation, note, God will fight our battles the natural way.